Kidney stones don’t form overnight — they grow silently from tiny crystals due to mineral imbalances. Early symptoms are often missed, and large stones can develop without pain, silently damaging the kidneys. Timely detection, proper hydration, a healthy diet, and regular follow-ups are the keys to prevention and management. This video busts myths, explains real dangers, and shares essential tips to protect your kidney health for life.

Shahid Akhter, Editor, Healthyouonline, spoke to Dr. Suresh Patankar, Chairman - Ace Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, to understand the myths, silent dangers, early signs, and effective management strategies related to kidney stones. Their discussion highlights the importance of timely diagnosis, prevention, and regular follow-up to protect kidney health.

Kidney stone: myths 

One common thing that many of my patients often ask or believe is that the kidney stone came from rice or a tomato seeds that they ate recently somehow entered the urinary system and formed a stone.

Let me be clear — these are all myths.

Stones do not form overnight. Stones are formed primarily from minerals like calcium (most commonly as oxalate and phosphate) and uric acid. All these substances are naturally present in our body and blood. They are important and necessary for normal bodily functions. The problem occurs when these substances become excessive in quantity, leading to what we call supersaturation. When this happens, the minerals start to crystallize and deposit in the urinary tract.

To give you an idea — a single crystal is extremely tiny. These tiny crystals, once formed, can clump together — hundreds of them — and gradually form a stone. This process happens slowly, not overnight. As the crystals accumulate over time, the stone keeps growing bigger and bigger. You would be surprised at how large a stone can become. It is difficult to imagine, but some stones I have seen weigh more than 120 grams!

Kidney Stone: Treatment 

Very rarely do we encounter stones measuring more than 13 cm. This highlights an important point: once a stone is formed, it becomes difficult to dissolve. However, at an early stage — when the stone is less than 5 or 6 millimeters in size — standard treatment with high fluid intake can often be tried.

There are also some herbal preparations available, and while they may help in some cases, not all stones will pass naturally. It is important to remember that kidney stones are usually very hard and, once impacted, may not dissolve easily. Sometimes, small stones may remain without causing any symptoms or obstruction, and can be monitored without immediate intervention.

However, I always counsel my patients not to expect that 100% of stones will pass with conservative or alternative treatments alone. This is where many people misunderstand — once they start alternative therapies and symptoms subside temporarily, they assume the stone has been resolved, when in fact it has not. There is no offense intended, but from a medical standpoint, the same untreated stone can continue to grow silently over time.

Not in every case, but often enough, stones can become surprisingly large if not properly managed.

Kidney Stones: Signs & Symptoms

Now let's discuss an important condition — the Staghorn Stone.

A staghorn stone is a type of kidney stone that completely occupies the interior of the kidney. It’s called a 'staghorn' stone because its shape resembles the antlers of a stag. These stones can grow into massive formations, almost like a monster stone, over time. Unfortunately, patients with staghorn stones often do not experience obvious symptoms initially.

Many of these stones are discovered incidentally — for example, when a patient visits a doctor for a completely different issue like a urinary tract infection (UTI), blood in the urine, or a general infection. Sometimes, the patient may be relatively stable and unaware of the stone growing inside. This is the typical story of staghorn stones — they grow silently.

In fact, 5 to 10% of stones may remain undetected unless specific investigations are done for another unrelated reason or due to vague symptoms like mild back pain. I've seen many cases where patients come with nonspecific symptoms, and during evaluation, we discover large stones. Just recently, I had a patient — a 72-year-old gentleman — who visited his doctor for hypertension. During his routine check-up, the doctor suggested a kidney evaluation, and during imaging, they found a stone.

Upon further investigation, it turned out to be a very large stone, measuring around 8 centimeters. We successfully removed the stone. The patient is now doing well. So you see, kidney stones, especially staghorn stones, can exist silently and become very large without causing major symptoms — making early detection and regular health check-ups extremely important."

Kidney Stone - Management

"Now, talking about a specific case — this particular stone was about 13 to 13.5 centimeters in size and weighed around 196 grams. The patient had a relatively stiff kidney, so we opted for an endoscopic surgical technique, a newer method that we have developed. The important point here is — once a stone is formed, even if you manage it early and it seems stable, it is crucial to maintain regular follow-up.

Initially, you might be able to control it with conservative measures, but always monitor. If, over a couple of months, you notice that the stone is not shrinking or is growing slowly, then intervention — such as surgical removal — should be considered. Another key point I want to highlight: Most people believe that if the stone grows, the pain will increase. But that’s not true.

In reality, as the stone becomes bigger and older, the pain often becomes less. Here’s why: As the stone enlarges, it damages the kidney tissue slowly. The affected kidney gradually loses its function, and the other kidney compensates, doing extra work.

As a result, the patient feels less or no pain. They think the problem has resolved — but actually, the kidney is being silently destroyed.

In fact, the stones I have shown today belong to patients who never complained of pain. They came to us with unrelated issues — like urinary infections, burning sensation while passing urine, or even hypertension. So remember: A kidney stone — which is a completely treatable condition — can turn into a serious, irreversible problem if not properly observed and followed up.

If a stone is causing any obstruction, one should not wait. What often happens is, when the pain disappears, patients mistakenly believe they are cured. They delay treatment — and by the time they come back to us, the kidney is badly damaged.

Many times, family members or even some non-specialists wrongly advise patients: 'Since there is no pain, you don't need to do anything.' This is not correct. Silent stones can cause serious, permanent damage to the kidney, sometimes affecting both kidneys and leading to chronic kidney failure. Therefore, proper awareness, timely diagnosis, and appropriate management are critical to avoid these severe outcomes."

Kidney Stone: Prevention

"Many patients ask me, 'Doctor, what should I eat to prevent kidney stones?' The answer is based on a simple principle — flushing. Think of it like this: how do you keep your toilet clean? By regularly flushing it with water. Similarly, adequate, regular, and timely fluid intake is the most important part of preventing stone formation.

On average, depending on the season, body type, and professional activity, a person should aim for around 2.5 to 3 liters of fluid intake daily. Another important point: Do not hold urine unnecessarily. Regular urination helps in flushing out small crystals before they grow into stones.

In terms of diet: Take foods that are easy to digest and reduce acidity. Studies have shown that consuming too many soft drinks, junk food, and bakery products can be harmful.

These items not only negatively affect digestion but also promote an environment that favors stone formation.

So, I always advise my patients:

• Avoid bakery products and junk food.
• Avoid soft drinks.
• Prefer natural fruit juices.
• Eat a lot of fruits.
• And, most importantly, maintain adequate hydration every day.

These simple lifestyle habits can significantly help in preventing kidney stones and maintaining overall kidney health."